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57 OMC Cobra Engine coupler center worn out when out drive up

rcdarkknight

New member
"Hi Guy's
I purchased a


"Hi Guy's
I purchased a 1989 RenKen with 5.7 OMC King Cobra
Re outfitted the hole boat over the winter. Put her in the water a couple of weeks ago and did a test run. She ran good but i had to clean the shift control and lower the ide. They also disconected the shift switch i am replaceing for a smoother shift. I also adjusted the cables. She is shifting much smoother. This week i had to replace a port side valve cover gasket, so i decided to check the adjustment on the valves.
I was running the engine in the water with the out drive up about 3/4 of the way. Not what i should have done just forgot to put her down.
all of a sudden i started hearing this loud winding noise from the rear of the engine and the engine was heating up to much. so i shut her down and put her in forward gear and reverse and i can turn the prop both ways in gear. I think the engine coupler must of went bad from the outdrive being up and stresing it.
Does anyone have any insite on this before i pull the out drive and the engine. My last stern drive was a merc cruiser 15 years ago.
Thank You RC
Note: I just pulled the rear unit and the ujoints have no play and were lubed well.
there was no binding at all. Could the coupler have worn from the prev. poeple slaming into gear?
I would think.
Any inside would help.
Thank You R Corsi"
 
Roland....did you smell a burn

Roland....did you smell a burning rubber smell or do you see and little black bits of rubber down in your bilge? These are typical signs of a bad coupler. The quickest way to kill a coupler is to have a mis-aligned engine to gimbal bearing. See if you can rent/borrow/buy (ebay) an alignment tool to check it.
 
"Hi Bob, Someone asked me that

"Hi Bob, Someone asked me that same question at the boat club, No, Just a loud noise like 10 w50
reels whent off at the same time. Pulled her out and brought her to my shop, Corsi Custom Exhaust and Auto Restoration. Pulled the out drive off the other day and all the splines from the coupler were in the groves of the shaft. cleaned, And the shaft and ujoints are in very nice condition.
Boat story: Purchased about 8 months ago. Engine was rebuilt by seller. Runs very good. pulled port valve cover to replace, was leaking. looks rebuilt. The rest of the boat was a mess.Oil in bilge, Very dirty, grease evey were. I Myself think they pulled the engine in the water. The aluminum L chanell was bent in front of the engine that mounts to the deck. I even found a old impeller for the out drive in the bilge.
I think you right i should get a alinment tool.
Do you think the one on ebay some guy is selling is good? or should i purchase one with splins?
I do have one service manual and am purchased a original OMC manual, In route. Also order the shift cut out switches, They were bypassed and i had to lower the idle to make her shift, without slaming into gear. Im sure the next think that will go is the Gears in the upper case the way they had been running this boat.
Any information and sugestions would be helpfull.
Thank You Bob, Roland Corsi"
 
"Hi Roland, I bought an engine

"Hi Roland, I bought an engine alignment tool off of ebay. It did not have the splines but worked great. Think it was around $40.00
Good luck!"
 
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